By Dr Andrew Davidson, Medical Director of City Fertility Centre Gold Coast.
Being fit and healthy is a key factor that can influence your fertility. Being unfit and unhealthy can contribute to trouble conceiving and poor sperm quality.
It is therefore crucial to establish a daily commitment to your health and fitness, both for your fertility prospects and your general wellbeing.
To guide you along the path, we have compiled a few tips to help you become or stay healthy in 2015:
Keep moving
Now is the time to set your regular exercise routine for the year. Try to do some form of exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days. Go for a walk or a swim, play some outdoor cricket, shoot some hoops, have a game of tennis, go for a bike ride or attend a yoga or gym class. It is important to keep a level of variety in your exercise routine so you don’t become bored.
Eat wisely
Ensuring optimum health at the time of conception is important and can be achieved by filling up on a healthy, balanced diet that’s rich in lean proteins and fresh fruit and vegetables. It is also vital to watch your portion sizes as it is easy to overeat.
Eliminate or reduce your vices
Alcohol and caffeine should be eliminated during pregnancy and limited before and after conception. Recreational drugs should be avoided. These can all have a detrimental effect on fertility, conception and pregnancy.
Consider a health and fitness app or tracker
Think about investing in a health and fitness app or fitness tracker, such as MyFitnessPal or a Fitbit, to monitor your calorie intake and energy output. These monitoring systems will help keep you on track and motivate you as you see your achievements being documented.
For more information on preconception tips, visit our Preconception Care page.
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